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Right now, theres a flurry of political activity in western Orange County.

With a special legislative election afoot, four Republicans are running vigorous campaigns, debating conservative ideas and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign cash in House District 44, which envelops Disney, Winter Garden, Dr. Phillips and west Orlando.

So, the Republicans are all-in.

One the other side of the aisle is a single Democratic candidate without much name ID, support or money. As of his last report, he had raised $3,131 with most of that coming from the candidates own pocket.

All this in a district that strongly supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump just nine months ago by a double-digit margin, in fact.

This, my friends, is why Democrats are chronic losers in this state because they dont compete.

Heck, they cant even organize.

While Republicans are playing masters-level chess, Democrats are trying to understand the differences between red and black checkers.

In this case, we have a special election the first local one of the Trump era in an provably anti-Trump district and yet the Democratic Party is mostly MIA.

This is not a new phenomenon. Despite having more voters in Florida, Democrats havent won a single statewide office in more than a decade, other than Bill Nelsons seat for U.S. Senate.

As a result, Democrats are about as relevant as an underwater candle.

Now, Dems have made some gains in local legislative and Congressional seats in the past couple of years. But they are still way outnumbered in the Legislature 79-41 in the House and 24-15 in the Senate and struggling to find a path to relevance.

Many Democrats know this.

Doug Head, who ran Orange Countys Democratic Party for 12 years until 2004, is the single big donor (having cut a $500 check) to Paul Chandler, the underfunded candidate in House District 44.

Head knows the party didnt do squat to successfully recruit a well-known candidate and believes that was a mistake, but said he wanted to support the brave soul who stepped up to run.

We need to rethink some of our basic assumptions, Head said of party leaders defeatist approach. And maybe hell have a chance.

Steve Schale, who ran Barack Obamas Florida campaign in 2008, agreed.

You have to give yourself opportunities, Schale said. You need to put good players on the field in as many places as you can.

Even Chandler a 37-year-old former teacher, bank teller and Disney worker who moved back to Orlando just two years ago to run a health-care company knows hes not anyones hand-picked favorite.

Ive always been the underdog, he said. But the only way a House seat is not winnable is if you dont put someone in it to win it.

Hes absolutely right.

Privately, Democrats offer all sorts of excuses for why they didnt do more to recruit and fully back an established candidate.

Theres not enough money. The district still has more registered Republicans. Marco Rubio still won there. We dont have good candidates ready.

Blah, blah, blah. And wah, wah, wah.

How do you think you get good or well-known candidates in the future?

If nothing else, the exercise of running the campaign is calisthenics for the main events, Head said. Weve got to build our muscles.

Schale agreed, calling full-throated campaigns a healthy organizing exercise.

The bottom line: If Democrats dont try in a competitive race like this, theyre basically waving the white flag.

Now, its certainly true that legislative and congressional districts are still gerrymandered in favor of the Republicans. (Democrats also rigged the districts when they controlled the state back decades ago.)

And yes, the Republicans have more money, thanks largely to business interests who believe Republicans better serve their interests. (About $200 million more in party contributions over the past 10 years and even more siphoned through political committees.)

But all that shouldve been even more reason for Democrats to focus on a special election in a competitive district like this one, where snagging just 10,000 votes could flip a seat.

Wes Hodge, the leader of the Orange County Democrats, said the party has been working behind the scenes to help Chandler and said the efforts will step up after the GOP primary on Aug. 15 among Republicans Usha Jain, John Newstreet, Bobby Olszewski and Bruno Portigliatti.

Well see. Maybe Democrats will belatedly step up their game. Maybe both sides will dazzle with impressive campaigns and hearty exchanges of ideas heading into the October general election.

Maybe. But theres no doubt Democrats are starting behind again.

Hodge noted that cronyism is the only reason they are even having this special election.

Hes right about that. The seat is suddenly vacant because Gov. Rick Scott picked sitting state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle a 40-year-old lawyer with a lackluster legislative record, no judicial experience and not even much courtroom experience to serve on one of the highest courts in the state.

And how did that happen? Because once again, Republicans had their chess game mastered. They were thinking three moves ahead while Democrats where fumbling to open the box.

smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com

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This is why Florida Democrats are losers - Orlando Sentinel